Changed
by Crypticelfdreamer Idril
Summary: Draco comes back to Hogwarts from a summer of hell with alot of unexpected changes. At Hogwarts, he finally finds what he's been secretly wanting his whole life...love. R for later chapters...going to smutty...ships will probably be D/G Hermione/Fred an
1. Summer from Hell

Merciful  
  
Summary- Draco Malfoy had never been one to follow rules. Now that he's in his 7th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, his father is forcing him to make a decision. Upon leaving Hogwarts he must decide his destiny. Shall he join the Death Eaters, or join Dumbledore, and suffer the wrath of the Dark Lord.  
  
But unknown to Draco or his father, someone is about to come into his life that will change everything...  
  
A/N-Listening to Down with the Sickness by Disturbed, so who knows how this will turn out! Please review whether you hate or don't hate!  
  
*Flashback*  
  
Lucius Malfoy, just having gotten away from Azkaban, looked down at his son.  
  
Draco looked at his father in dismay. "What do you mean I have a decision to make?"  
  
"You will decide whether or not to follow the Dark Lord once you leave Hogwarts."  
  
"You mean it's actually my decision?" said Draco in disbelief.   
  
He had been under the impression that his father was going to make all of his decisions in his life for him. He had so far. Draco had no say in his life, and he was accustomed to that. Why the sudden change?   
  
"Yes, the Dark Lord does not wish to force you into his services, because of a prophesy that was made regarding The Dark Lord and yourself. Because if this prophesy he will not force you to join him, so it was your choice. But be warned, if you do not join him, he will probably have you killed, and he will probably make me do it. Do not think that I will hesitate." said Lucius with a scowl.  
  
"I know you won't hesitate to kill me. The only thing from stopping you before was Mother." said Draco accusingly.  
  
"Foolish boy!" screamed Lucius as he brought his hand down against Draco's cheek, "How DARE you speak to me like that? You interefered. You caused a plan to go wrong. You deserved what you got, and trust me, if it weren't for the Prophesy, you WOULD be dead. Get your trunk together. Tomorrow your mother is taking you to Kings Cross to go to Hogwarts."  
  
Draco touched his cheek lightly. It smarted painfully. He quickly got up and went up to his bedroom, where he had spent most of the summer as punishment by his father.   
  
Yes, he had interefered. No, it was not on purpose. He smirked to himself. Who'd thought that a 16, about to turn 17 year old boy could cause that much trouble.   
  
*flashback*  
  
He was making an acne-healing potion during a crucial Death Eaters meeting that was taking place in the Malfoy's spacious and secret basement. He knew the Death Eaters were planning something that would have to be put into action immediately. He didn't dare disturb them.  
  
That's when the potion exploded. The blast was so strong, that it blasted the basement door right off it's hinges. The Death Eaters, all fearing that it was the Ministry, or worse, Dumbledore, fled immediately.   
  
He didn't understand what had gone wrong. He had put in all the ingrediants carefully and precisely. He had never made such an error on a potion.  
  
Lucius Malfoy was walking up the basement stairs with a look of anger in his eyes that Draco had never seen before. Draco knew better than to run, so did the only other thing he could think of; he stood still.  
  
Lucius looked at his son with a look of utter loathing. "Stupid boy!" he spat angrily, "Do you realize what you have done? You have disrupted quite possibly the most important meeting we've had since The Dark Lord rose again. You have stopped us from killing the one person who stands in the way of victory for us." he yelled at his son.  
  
Draco's hand went reflexivly to his pocket that held his wand. "Don't you mean, victory for Voldemort?" he spat at his father, the first time he had dared to stand up Lucius.  
  
All the remaining color drained from Lucius's face.   
  
"Crucio." he muttered under his breath, aiming his wand at his son. Draco was caught so off guard that he hadn't time to raise his wand and counter the attack.   
  
He fell to the ground writhing in agony. The pain was unbelievable. It felt as though a thousand knives were stabbing him.   
  
A small hopeful part of his mind thought that his father would end the curse in a few seconds...it was just punishment. Seconds past and the pain was only getting worse. Draco tried to manage to speak, but nothing came out except a scream of utmost pain.  
  
Narcissa Malfoy heard her son's scream and ran to see what had happened. when she entered the kitchen she saw her husband standing a few feet away from her son, who was rolled up into a ball on the floor writhing and screaming.  
  
"Lucius stop this instant!" she screamed at him in rage.   
  
Lucius lifted the curse and then turned to his wife, "Do you REALIZE that this boy has done? Your son completely ended our meeting. The punishment for that should be death! This meeting was more important that any other!" he shouted.  
  
"Don't you shout at me Lucius Malfoy! You have used a curse used against your enemies on our son! How dare you?" she screeched at him.  
  
Draco, still on the floor in pain, dared to speak. "So, Mr. Malfoy. That's what I am to you now, is it? Just your wife's son? have you disowned me now?" said Draco in a low staggering voice full of pain.  
  
Lucious looked down at his son. Under that look of loathing, Draco could have sworn he'd seen what looked to be a smirk.  
  
'So the boy is finally getting his own tongue, eh? He can finally think and speak for himself. In any other surcumstance I would be pleased. He will be punished though.' thought Lucius as that smirk finally emerged completely.  
  
"You are my son, and for your insolence today, I will punish you as my son. Go to your room. You will stay there until time for you to leave for school. Your mother will bring you food three times a day. There will be no owls leaving your room. You're lucky the Dark Lord has forgiven you." said Lucius as his smirk twisted into a leer.  
  
Draco abrubtly turned around and went up into his room, shutting and locking the door. He smirked. Some punishment. His room was complete with anything he could need to keep himself entertained. He had his own large bathroom, so that wouldnt' be a problem, and more luxuries than most got to experience. He would enjoy this punishment...or so he thought.  
  
The only food his father permit his mother to send up was thin soup and crusty bread. He had only water to drink. By the end of the summer he was gaunt, and quite the opposite of happy.   
  
*end flashback*  
  
In some ways he would be happy to get out of this hell that he'd been forced to endure for the duration of the summer. In others, he was afraid of his house-mates reactions to him. He knew he had changed and that there was no point in pretending that he hadn't. He was gaunt, and humbled.   
  
He walked slowly to his mirror. He was gaunt and unkept, quite the opposite of his usual appearance. He would have to clean up well tonight and hopefully Lucius would give him more than soup and bread tonight.  
  
He walked into his bathroom and took a long hot shower. When he got out, he combed through his hair and brushed his teeth. He put a bath-robe on over his boxers and headed out of the bathroom.  
  
When he walked back into his room, he was met with a surprise. His father was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room.  
  
"Get dressed, boy! You are eating supper with your mother and I tonight. We can't have people thinking that we're starving you, now can we?" he said with a sneer.  
  
Draco didn't say anything, he meerly went to one of his drawers and grabbed his nearest robes and quickly put them over his boxers. He then dug out a pair of shoes and put them on. After straightening out his robes and combing through his hair, he faced his father.  
  
"Good enough, Lucius?" he asked, glowering.  
  
Lucius meerly motioned for his son to follow him. Draco walked out the door behind his father and closed it. It had been his first time out of his room in over a month. He had stopped to note minor change when his father turned around, noting his hesitance.  
  
"Hurry up, boy, or shall I have to force you to move?" said Lucius without emotion.  
  
Draco snapped back to attention and hurried down the stairs behind his father. They entered the dining room and Draco took his usual seat accross from his mother. Almost immediately the household servants began serving the meal.  
  
Draco looked over the meal hungrily. He immediately started piling his plate with food and then shoveled food into his mouth. His father cleared his throat loudly, and gave Draco a disgusted look. Draco felt his fathers glare on his neck and he sat up straight and looked him square in the eye.  
  
"What, pray tell, do you think you are? A pig? A commoner? Maybe some of the nasty mudbloods at that school of yours eat like that, but the son of Lucius Malfoy WILL NOT eat like he is common swine." said Lucius vehemenantly.  
  
Draco glared right back at his father. He wasn't sure why, but it bothered him how his father refered to Mudbloods. He was starting to see what a jerk he had always been. He had been so naive. He had been what his father wanted him to be. He was through with that. His father spent all his time talking about how much better they were than others, but Draco had seen how his father really was that summer. He had seen that if anything, his family was worse than any other. He thought back to all the times his father had said rude things about the Weasleys. Draco saw the love in their eyes when they would pass each other and the passion they had for defending each other. Draco wished that he had that. He wished that he could believe that his father loved him.  
  
He slowed down his eating and sat up properly. Lucius nodded in approval. Draco glowered. After his supper he immediately went straight back to his room and finished packing up his trunk. He reached for the photos of his parents that he always took with him to Hogwarts. And only grabbed one of them. He knocked the other to the floor, satisfied when he heard the glass break, and hoped that his father would see it.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The next morning Draco awoke to a gentle knock on his door. He sat up in bed and grabbed his wand from his night stand.   
  
"Alohamora" he said quietly and watched the door open. He had never had to worry about the ministry expelling him for underage use of magic. Lucius had always seen to that, and even now that Lucius was a convicted criminal, the ministry didn't dare mess with the Malfoy's. To his relief, it was his mother, not his father, that stepped through. She looked sheepish and ashamed.  
  
"Draco, dear, it's time to get ready to go." she said nervously.  
  
"You don't have to worry, mum. It's not like I'm going to slap you like your husband probably would." he said with annoyance.   
  
Narcissa Malfoy was taken aback. Her son had never said anything so horrible about his father to her face. "Draco! Don't talk about your father that way!" she said quietly.  
  
"First of all, he isn't my father. Father's don't do things like he did to their children. Father's love their children. Second, I'll talk about him whatever way I like. At least I don't curse him." said Draco angrily. He couldn't believe his mom had the nerve to defend Lucius in front of him.  
  
Narcissa sighed. She turned around to walk away and quietly said, "I'm sorry, Draco. For everything." she quietly walked out of the room to let him get ready.  
  
About an hour later Draco stepped out of his room with his trunk suspended behind, following him down the stairs. He had showered and changed into nice robes. When he reached the end of the stairs his mother walked into the hallway.  
  
"Oh Draco don't be silly! Put that thing down this instant! I wouldn't dream of sending you off without proper breakfast!" she said ushering him into the kitchen.  
  
"You didn't seem too worried this summer when I was half-starving." he said. Narcissa sniffed. Draco knew it hurt his mother, but he didn't care. She had just stood by all summer and watched her husband torment him. He wasn't going to let her forget it either. And if they expected him to be coming home after this year, his final year at Hogwarts, they were sorely mistaken. There was no way he was coming back to his hell-hole. He smiled to himself. So this was what it felt like to be Harry Potter, unloved and under-fed. He smirked at his own thought.   
  
His smirk quickly changed to a scowl when he saw that apparently his father would be joining him for breakfast as well.   
  
"Stop smirking boy. Sit down and eat." said Lucius, not kindly, but not with loathing either.  
  
"I stopped smirking the moment I saw who my breakfast company would be." Draco sneered.   
  
Lucius rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You are not to treat your mother badly, son. She has done nothing to you."  
  
"That's the problem now isn't it? She just sat back and let you torture me and then starve me. I don't think it's fair for me to pretend like she hasn't." said Draco evenly. He was no longer afraid of what his father would do to him. Lucius wouldn't want anyone to think the boy had been hurt recently, so he was safe for now.  
  
Lucius glared at his son in anger. "Your mother wanted to help you. I wouldn't let her."  
  
Now it was Draco's turn to be annoyed. "You insufferable ass-hole. Of course, she is such a good mother for wanting to help me! A great mother! I now know just how much either of you love me. She loved me enough to just watch me starve because YOU told her not to. I can feel the love emanating from you. You love me so much as to put an illegal curse on me to cause me more pain than most people can bear!!! Thanks, daddy!" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.   
  
Lucius jumped to his feet and pulled out his wand.  
  
"I'm warning you...one more word and!" but he was cut off.  
  
"That's enough, both of you!" roared Narcissa Malfoy. Both men looked up, thoroughly shocked. They'd forgotten she was even in the room. "Draco, get your trunk, now. Lucius, sit down and finish eating. DO NOT point that wand at our son ever again or you will face wrath twice-fold than the Dark Lord's." yelled Narcissa.  
  
Lucius sat down. He knew better than to test his wife's patience when she was worked up. He was surprised she hadn't already forced him to let Draco have more food. She may not've shown it much, but Narcissa Malfoy was one hell of a witch. She could curse the socks off of many of the aurors that the ministry had employed.  
  
Narcissa, still glowering, led Draco to the car that the ministry had provided and drove him down to King's Cross. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, though it was emotionless, more a formality than anything.  
  
"I'll be here at Christmas break to pick you up." she said.  
  
"Don't count on it. I'm not coming home for Christmas." said Draco shortly as he slammed the door. Narcissa looked like she'd been slapped in the face.   
  
Draco grabbed his trunk and pulled it out of the car. He started dragging it until he found a trolly to rest it on. He pushed his trolly until he finally found the Wall between Platforms 9 and 10. He casually strolled up to it and walked through onto Platform 9&3/4, Hogsmeade Station.  
  
A/N - So what did you think? Please please please review!!! *You feel the uncontrollable call of the "submit review" button...you just have to click!* Thanks for reading, guys! 


	2. A Friendship is Forged

Chapter 2  
  
A/N Decided to just go ahead and jump in and work on chapter 2 while I have ideas fresh in my head! Lord this is a long chapter...especially by my standards!!! Anyways, on to the shoutouts  
  
Tomfeltons4ever - Thanks for reading!!! And even more, thanks for reviewing!!!  
  
Wolfy - Hiya! Thanks for reading what I have so far, and reviewing! Hehe...bringing Narcissa to life was fun!  
  
MelissaAdams- So glad you liked it!!!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Draco grabbed his trunk and lugged it up the stairs of the boarding platform. He got onto the Hogwarts Express and quickly rushed to find the compartment where his friends would be. He didn't particularly want to be around people, but he didn't want to look suspicious. He found Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise Zabini and pushed his trunk into their compartment.  
  
"Hey, Draco my man! How was your summer?" asked Blaise as Crabbe and Goyle stupidly nodded their heads.  
  
"Hey, Blaise. Summer was okay." said Draco ending with a glower.  
  
"That's not very convincing." said Blaise thoughtfully.  
  
"How was your summer?" Draco asked, wanting to get as far away from the question as possible. So much for not looking suspicious.  
  
"Not too shabby. Your father was over at our place several times talking with my dad, but you never showed. What was up?" asked Blaise, not getting the hint.  
  
"I was sick." said Draco simply.  
  
"For over 3 weeks?" asked Blaise with an eyebrow raised.   
  
"Uh...ya. Muggle disease. You never know what you'll pick up at King's Cross lately." said Draco as he shook his head.  
  
"So, you're saying that you caught a muggle disease but didn't get sick until about three weeks before summer ended?" ask Blaise, obviously not buying Draco's story.  
  
"Look, just leave it alone, okay?" sneered Draco.  
  
"Sorry...sorry. Didn't realize it was so touchy." said Blaise as he shook his head.  
  
Draco got up, thoroughly annoyed, and stormed out of the compartment, leaving Blaise with a look of incredualty and Crabbe and Goyle with looks of confusion. (a/n-when are they NOT confused?)  
  
He didn't care anymore. Draco didn't care whether his friends were suspicious. He didn't care whether people questioned his father about his state of being, and most of all he didn't care if his father was angry that he wasn't behaving normal.  
  
He stormed to the back of the train, looking for an empty compartment, and was met by Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. He merely shoved them aside.  
  
"Out of my way." said Draco as he stormed through the three leaving them dumbfounded.  
  
"Malfoy, pass up the opportunity to point out that my parents are muggles?" asked Hermione incredulously.  
  
"What? No cracks about my family's finances or lack of?" asked Ron with an amused look on his face.  
  
"And not one crack about Famous Harry Potter. He must really be pissed off about something. Wonder what's got his drawers in a bunch?" added Harry.  
  
"Whatever it is, I could do with it coming along more often!" said Ron happily. He liked not having to defend himself for once.  
  
"I dunno...it's weird though." added Hermione thoughtfully as she followed the boys into an empty compartment.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Draco glowered, hearing bits of the Dream Team's remarks as he walked away. They were right though. He had never before passed up such a conveniant opportunity. He was going soft. Finally, he found an empty compartment at the very end of the train. He walked in and slammed the door behind him. He curled up on one of the seats and almost immediately fell asleep.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ginny Weasley walked through the train trying to find her brother, Harry, and her best friend, Hermione. She finally found their compartment and opened it up.   
  
"There ya'll are!" she said happily. The compartment hushed.   
  
"Well, thanks for the warm welcome!" Ginny said sarcastically.  
  
"Sorry, Gin, but we were kind of in the middle of something." said Ron with an apologetic look. He then shut the door on Ginny. She felt anger well up in her. She stomped off, looking for a compartment with some friends. She hadn't been able to find anyone, so she assumed they were further up. She didn't feel like searching through anymore cabins, so she went to the very back of the train to two compartments that were almost always empty. One was full of some giggling Hufflepuffs. Ginny dodged that one and tried the one accross the isle. She opened it up and saw that only one person was in there.  
  
She walked in and closed the compartment up. That's when she noticed who that one person was. Her brother's arch-enemy, and not exactly her best friend, Draco Malfoy, sound asleep curled up like a child.   
  
The sixth year blushed. She felt as if she shouldn't be here with a sleeping boy, much less an older one who was generally loathed by her. She decided that she'd just sit in the far end of the cabin and hope that he didn't wake until they reached Hogwarts.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Draco had heard the cabin door slide open, but didn't care to see who it was. As long as they thought he was sleeping they wouldn't bother him, and that was fine. He laid there, curled up, for another 30 minutes until the food cart arrived at their compartment. The door slided open and the cartlady peeked her head in.  
  
"Anything off the cart, dears?" she asked.  
  
Ginny wondered why she would be addressing the sleeping Draco until she saw a hand reach out beside her and toss a few galleons into the lady's hand.   
  
"We'll have a bit of everything." said Draco simply. The lady handed over some snacks and then slided the door closed, smiling.  
  
Draco grabbed a few pasties and tossed them over to Ginny, who caught them, startled.  
  
"Thanks. I suppose this is going to end with a comment on how poor my family is so you assumed I had no money of my own to buy food with?" asked Ginny looking down at her lap.  
  
"I had no intentions of saying anything of the sort." said Draco shortly.  
  
Ginny looked up, surprised, and watched Draco rip the wrapper off of a pumpkin cake and eat it all in about 3 bites. She gaped at him. She had never known Draco Malfoy to eat without manners, or be generous for that matter. Especially not with a Weasley.  
  
Draco looked up, realizing that she hadn't touched any of the food he'd offered her.   
  
"What's wrong Weasley? Not hungry?" he asked with a smirk.  
  
"I could ask you the same, Malfoy. A Malfoy not only eating like a pig, but sharing food with a Weasley? Never thought I'd see the day. You might consider making a trip to the Hospital Wing, Draco, because something obviously isn't right." said Ginny with a sarcastic glare.  
  
"Wow! I'm surprised you know my name! You're brother never can seem to remember it. I'm eating because I'm hungry. I'm sharing because it's the nice thing to do. I havn't teased you about your family because I know what it's like to do without, Weasley." said Draco.  
  
"Maybe my brother doesn't use your first name because you don't use his. My name is Ginny, not Weasley. And I'm so sure that you know what it's like to do without." said Ginny angrily.  
  
Her last comment riled Draco up.  
  
"You obviously don't know what it's like to live with Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. You try being locked in a room being fed Bread and thin stew day in and day out for the entire summer. You try having a father who gets joy out of using the Crucius curse against you and starving you to death and a mother who either doesn't care enough or is too scared to stop him, GINNY." bristled Malfoy. After realizing what he'd said he sat back down and put his head in his hands.  
  
"What?" asked Ginny dumbfounded.  
  
"Ya, that's right. Go ahead, have your laugh. You certainly have a right to it." he said bitterly.  
  
"Draco...why would I laugh about anything like that?" she asked him softly.  
  
Draco looked up. "Oh stop being a Saint, Ginny. I know you would like nothing better to rub it in my face that you DO indeed have something I do not. You have people that love you." said Draco impatiently.  
  
"Draco Malfoy, maybe the people YOU associate with would poke fun at a thing like that, but apparently though I was raised poorer, I was raised better, because I do know that laughing at you for your misfortune doesn't help anything, and won't make me feel better." said Ginny with a sigh. She could hear the longing in his voice. She'd never seen Draco Malfoy so vulnerable and needing. He just needed someone to care about him.  
  
"I wished I'd learned that before it was too late." said Draco softy.  
  
Ginny walked across the compartment and sat next to him. She wrapped one arm around his shoulders and hugged him. "Who said it's too late? There are a million people here who would care for you, especially if you'd show them the human side for once." said Ginny.  
  
He didn't know why, but he found himself not wanting to pull out of the youngest Weasley's embrace. He felt comfort. He chuckled softly.  
  
"What?" asked Ginny, resting her head against his shoulder while still hugging him.  
  
"Who'dve thought there would come a day when a Weasley helped out a Malfoy?" he asked with a grin.  
  
Ginny smiled. "Who'dve thought there would come a day when a Malfoy would swallow his pride and admit he needed help?" she asked.  
  
All at once, the train jolted to a halt. A voice came on the intercom announcing that they had arrived at Hogsmeade station and should exit the train.   
  
Ginny let go of Draco, and once again, he felt alone.  
  
"Come Malfoy, time to go. Let's go find a carriage!" said Ginny enthusiastically. Malfoy mused at the younger girl.  
  
"You aren't afraid of what people will think if they see us together?" he asked, fearing her answer.  
  
"Why should I be? It's more you who should worry! It might ruin your reputation as one who only associates with people of his importance." said Ginny, almost teasingly.  
  
"Importance isn't measured in gold." said Draco simply as he followed the girl out. She quickly flagged them down a carriage and he opened the door for her to enter. She blushed and stepped up into it. He followed suit. Then they heard a knocking on the door as more student needed to enter. Ginny opened it only to see Hermione, Ron, and Harry standing outside the door.   
  
Upon seeing Malfoy in a carriage with Ginny, Harry and Hermione looked stunned, whereas Ron started seething. Draco merely smirked at the Dream Team.   
  
Ginny grinned at the looks on their faces. "Sorry, guys, but we were kind of in the middle of something." said Ginny with a shrug as she closed the door on the three. She smirked at the look on Draco's face.   
  
"I must say, young mistress, that that was admirable!" said Draco, thoroughly impressed with the girl's handling of the situation.   
  
Once again, there came a knock at their door. Ginny looked through the window before turning back to Draco.   
  
"3 Ravenclaw 6th years. Do you mind?" she asked as she turned to open the door.  
  
"Not at all..." said Draco uncertainly as Ginny swung the door open for them to enter. In came Luna Lovegood, another girl who Ginny didn't recognize, and another boy who she thought was named Jeffrey.  
  
Luna looked between the Ginny and Draco and then smiled. Ginny could only wonder what was running through Luna's mind. She was the only one of the three who probably knew of the Malfoy/Weasley rivalry.  
  
"Are we interupting anything?" she asked kindly.  
  
Draco was just about to answer with an affirmative when Ginny silenced him by stepping on his foot. He winced, but kept his mouth shut.   
  
"Of course not. We were just chatting." said Ginny as she started jabbering away with Luna about the latest edition of the Quibbler. Draco simply sat back and pondered.  
  
He still wasn't quite sure how it had happened, but it seemed he had forged a friendship with his archenenemy's little sister. The look on Ron's face had been priceless. He had never seen him so angry. Draco felt relieved in many ways. He didn't feel that he had to keep on a mask, at least not in front of Ginny, and he didn't feel like he had anything to prove to anyone anymore.   
  
The carriages came to a halt and Ginny dragged Draco out of it and up the stairs to the castle. Ron watched them walk in together, followed closely by Hermione and Harry. Hermione had an angry, yet amused look on her face, Harry was just confused, and Ron was glowering. The three walked in a few paces behind Draco and Ginny.  
  
When Ginny came to the Gryffindor table Draco halted and gave her a quick hug, as if they were old friends, and whispered a quick "Thanks...we'll talk later." before heading over to the Slytherin table.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Snape watched the two come in with narrowed eyes. After they hugged Snape raised his eyebrows. This was new to him. He wasn't aware that the Malfoy's had decided that the Weasley's were acceptable people to associate with, stupid snobs. He did, however, note Ron Weasley's expression of loathing aimed towards the blonde Slytherin.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Draco strolled casually towards the Slytherin table and took a seat, soon joined by Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, and a few girls including his fanclub, Pansy Parkinson and a few of her cronies.  
  
"Draco! Is it true that you walked in with Ginny Weasley?" accused Pansy with disdain. She practically sneered Ginny's name.  
  
"No, I walked in with Ron." said Draco sarcastically. Pansy gaped at being treated so callously by him.   
  
"Drackypoo...what's wrong? You don't want to be with me anymore?" asked Pansy with a pout that she seemed to think was seductive and cute. It made her look like a pug with an attitude problem.  
  
"Face it, Parkinson, you may have been a good screw when he needed it, but face it, he never wanted to be with you." said Blaise with a snort.  
  
"Shut up, Zabini. Just because you can't get any is no reason to mock those who can." sneered Pansy as she got up and walked to teh other end of the table, motioning to her friends to follow her.   
  
"Ah, now that the trash has taken itself out, mind letting me in on just exactly why you were walking in with Ginny too-poor-for-a-Malfoy Weasley?" asked Blaise with a smirk.  
  
"Lay off Parkinson, Blaise, she never did anything to you." said Draco a little wearily.  
  
"Malfoy, what's happened to you? You come back from summer gaunt and pale, extremely touchy, you walk in with a Weasley, and now you're defending Parkinson. Where's your edge? What happened?" asked Blaise with exasperation.  
  
"Alot of stuff happened. I just don't feel like being a jerk today." said Draco with a shrug.   
  
"Pull yourself together." snapped Blaise. "You're a Malfoy. I don't care what kind of shit you were put through by your father or the dark lord, but this is ridiculus. You're BETTER than people like the Weasleys. I'd suggest you start acting like it." said Blaise with disdain.  
  
"I know we're higher, but why should we rub it in? I know how Potter and the Weasleys feel, and it's not good. I don't want to ever feel like that again." said Draco.  
  
"So the rumors my father heard are true. Don't let your father win. He wanted to beat down your pride and you're just letting him do it!" said Blaise with conviction.  
  
Draco paled. "Who all knows?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Your father was bragging about it to a few of the death eaters, my father included, and he used it to threaten me a few times when I was being insolent." said Blaise.  
  
"Oh, well that's just great, now isn't it? The new D.E.'s child's punishment was generalized by Daddy dearest." said Draco sarcastically.  
  
"Yep. It's not fair, Draco." said Blaise sympathetically.  
  
"I'm never going back there again. It's not like my parents will care." said Draco bitterly.  
  
"Are you going to join the Dark Lord?" asked Blaise casually.  
  
"Not sure. Of course it would be the Malfoy thing to do, but I'm not so sure I want to follow in my father's footsteps." said Draco, regaining his mien of confidence.  
  
All at once, the feast appeared on their plates. The boys looked up shocked, unaware that they had missed the whole sorting ceremony.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ginny had sat down next to Hermione, accross from Ron and Harry. Ron was still glowering all through the sorting ceremony and right down to when the food appeared on their plates  
  
"Ginny, what the bloody hell was that all about?" he asked angrily.   
  
Ginny looked up at her brother, seeing his angry glare, and rolled her eyes.  
  
"I walked in with Draco. What's wrong with that?" she asked, trying to stay calm.  
  
"Ginny, this is MALFOY we're talking about. He hates us. He hates all Weasleys." said Ron with disgust.  
  
"Oh grow up, Ron. People change." said Ginny with another roll of her eyes.  
  
"The Malfoy's aren't people. They're assholes, and that's a direct quote from dad. Malfoy's don't change. Can you imagine Mum's face when she finds out that you're dating a Malfoy?" he asked incredulously.  
  
"First off, by judging them like that, you're being just like one of them. Second, anyone can change, and you well know that. Third, I'm not dating a Malfoy. I'm friends with one, Ron. Now can you please just get over it already?" said Ginny, a little louder than she had intended. People on the ends of the tables were begining to wonder what was going on.   
  
"No, Gin, I won't get over it." said Ron pointedly. Ginny stood up and her chair went screeching backwards across the floor. She stomped down to an end of the Gryffindor table and sat down with a few other six year students.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Draco looked up, alarmed, as was everyone else when they heard a screeching noise. Then he saw Ginny storming down to another seat and he immediately knew what had happened.  
  
"Stupid Git. I have a feeling he's going to be belching slugs today." said Malfoy with a glower.  
  
Blaise laughed at this, while Crabbe and Goyle just guffawd stupidly.  
  
"Think he's going to attack you, eh? Wouldn't surprise me." said Blaise with a smirk.  
  
"Let him come. It's not like I have much to worry about." said Draco hautily.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I'm not about to stand for this. She IS NOT going to be hanging around with Malfoy." said Ron angrily as he stood up.  
  
"Ron! Don't do anything stupid, please!" begged Hermione as he got up to leave.  
  
"It would be stupid to let him brainwash my sister." bit Ron as he walked around by the Slytherin table before leaving the Great Hall. Upon passing Draco, he stuck his wand out and put the tip on his back.   
  
"You, me, Charms Corridoor, 5 minutes." he said as he leaned over the table.  
  
Draco rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I'm so frightened." said Draco unconvincingly. Ron was already out of the Great Hall.  
  
Draco looked over at Blaise. "Have a stretcher ready. I'll try not to hurt him too badly." said Draco with a smirk. He stood up and strolled casually out of the Great Hall and headed towards the Charms coridoor. 


End file.
